Basic Animation
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There are two main ways to animate using SketchUp...using layers and scene visibility and using Face Me components.
In the first example...using layers...you begin by modelling ALL the instances of the object that will be required in the animation. This example is of 12 cubes arranged like the hours on a clock, with an extra cube in the centre which stands still...representing those parts of the model that you don't want to animate. So that is what I modelled...13 cubes.
The next step is to add a layer for every instance of the animation...so I added 12...one for every hour. The centre cube is left on Layer0, but the cube in the 1 o' clock position is moved to Layer 1, the next to Layer 2 etc.
When you have all the cubes on separate layers you switch off all the layers except Layer1 (and Layer 0 which is never switched off)...then you create scene 1. Next you switch on Layer 2 and switch off Layer 1 and create scene 2...and so on right around the clock.
When you have done this you will see that as you click on the scene tab representing any given hour, the cube associated with that hour will be the only one visible apart from the red cube in the middle.
To create an animation, go to the tourguide settings and set the scene transition to 0 (or switch it off altogether to speed things up even more) and also set the scene delay to 0, then run the animation.
In the attached example, you will get a clearer idea of what is happening if you open the layers palette and stretch it long enough to see all the layers before starting the animation.
Note: These tutorials were constructed for the old forum, using V5. From V6 onwards Pages are now called Scenes. However, in the tutorials, the Scene tabs will still be labelled Page1, Page2 etc.
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Face Me animation can be used for longer, smoother animations but it is not as controllable as the page animation.
Basically all you do is create a 3D component and give it a Face Me property as if it was a 2D component. Then you edit it and move its axes to a centre of rotation that will give you the movement you need.The first example is of a car turning out of a driveway onto the road. If you double click the car as if to edit it you will see that I have moved the axes about 20 metres away, so that it will make a quarter turn onto the roadway.
In this kind of animation, your viewpoints for page 1 and page 2 are dictated by the position of the object. You will need to experiment a bit. You can zoom in and out or move vertically up and down, but the viewpoint is otherwise fixed by the requirements of the animation.
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The second example using Face Me has the car apparently driving straight down a road. Actually it isn't...if you look carefully you will see it wander towards the middle of the road then back again. It's actually following a very shallow curve. If you click on this car you will see that the axes are a VERY long way off...far enough to give the shallow curve necessary.
Getting your position right for a Face Me animation can be quite tricky but you do usually only need 2 pages and just the one instance of the component, so can be a much smaller file if the components are complicated ones such as a vehicle.
In contrast to the Pages animation, where the transitions are set to zero, you need to set a transition time that will create a realistic movement.
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I couldn't deal with animation without mentioning this classic thread from the old days that successfully made the transition to Google Groups. It starts off sensibly enough.....
The first animated file is Steven's Too-late.skp. You need to click on View/Animation/Play
Titanic:The Real Story -
Thanks for "migrating" this thread here, Alan. I still remember learning a lot from it and have kept referring to it ever since.
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That are trick tips
I can't imagine what are tips for middle and advanced animation !
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I need help in creating animation,I want to show a simple machine assembling,are there video tutorials that can help me with that?
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Maybe you can use this
"Transformer" ruby Script by Didier BurConcept is this
create goup of each object (or objects so use Groups)
Select one object : Menu transformer / Position initial = first line "group"
Move your group to the final position wished
Menu Transformer / Final Position = second line "Group"
(as it's a beta conceptor should write, Initial Group, Final group
Now you have just to click Menu / Animation : Initial Final
Et voila
A very tricky script!A french version of the mini tut:)
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/download/file.php?id=3099&mode=viewPS If you have keep on the same time initial and final object on the screen you can
Menu Transformer / Movement / Final Initial
or Transformer / Movement / Initial Final -
Another solution use Sketchyohysics2
http://code.google.com/p/sketchyphysics2
http://code.google.com/p/sketchyphysics2/downloads/list
see the example : motor radial 7 explosed
(inside folder examples)
A terrific Plugin! -
And now Proprer animation by Morisdov
Permit mix scenes and movements of objects! -
thanks
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@alan fraser said:
There are two main ways to animate using SketchUp...using layers and scene visibility and using Face Me components.
In the first example...using layers...you begin by modelling ALL the instances of the object that will be required in the animation. This example is of 12 cubes arranged like the hours on a clock, with an extra cube in the centre which stands still...representing those parts of the model that you don't want to animate. So that is what I modelled...13 cubes.
The next step is to add a layer for every instance of the animation...so I added 12...one for every hour. The centre cube is left on Layer0, but the cube in the 1 o' clock position is moved to Layer 1, the next to Layer 2 etc.
When you have all the cubes on separate layers you switch off all the layers except Layer1 (and Layer 0 which is never switched off)...then you create scene 1. Next you switch on Layer 2 and switch off Layer 1 and create scene 2...and so on right around the clock.
<<Do not forget to update after turning off the layers not visible on the Layers . (Drop down menu)
Ne pas oublier de faire actualisation après avoir éteint les calques non visible sur la scène.( menu deroulant )
And for change layer easily.
http://crobart.org/SketchUp/Outil.php?outil=gestionnaire-de-calques#menu2
[luckyvac]>>When you have done this you will see that as you click on the scene tab representing any given hour, the cube associated with that hour will be the only one visible apart from the red cube in the middle.
To create an animation, go to the tourguide settings and set the scene transition to 0 (or switch it off altogether to speed things up even more) and also set the scene delay to 0, then run the animation.
In the attached example, you will get a clearer idea of what is happening if you open the layers palette and stretch it long enough to see all the layers before starting the animation.
Note: These tutorials were constructed for the old forum, using V5. From V6 onwards Pages are now called Scenes. However, in the tutorials, the Scene tabs will still be labelled Page1, Page2 etc.
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luckyvac, thank you very much. Clear and informative.
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